Lakeview Magazine

LAKEVIEW MONTESSORI SCHOOL

"LAKEVIEW’S PRESENCE IN THE CITY IS NOW EVEN MORE NOTICEABLE" - THE HEAD OF SCHOOL TALKS ABOUT THE GROWTH OF THE SCHOOL & WHAT IT MEANS TO HER AND HER FAMILY. A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

THE PAST

THE PRESENT

THE FUTURE SPECIAL EDITION MAGAZINE

John-Mark Jurak Board of Directors President

When we first set eyes on Lakeview Montessori School, we knew that this was the right choice for our family. With three growing boys, who were eager to learn and needed a home away from home, the staff and Admin Team were ready to take on this task with open arms and from there on out Lakeview became a big part of our family.

When I heard there was an opening on the Board of Directors, it was an easy decision for me to run for the job. At the time of my acceptance on the Board, the school was ready for it's expansion and I couldn't wait to get started. Going through the Redevelopment Campaign was very exciting not only for my own boys, but for our growing school community. The need for a gym, more classrooms, updated Preschool playgrounds, tech rooms and a bigger footprint, were the obvious items on the list of things our school needed. With the help of an amazing group of volunteers, Board members and our generous donors, the expansion got done! To see it all come together was a great experience and I can't wait to bring some more change and needed updates to the school for all the kids, Infant to Grade 8, to enjoy.

I am proud to be a part of this school community and I look forward to helping our school flourish.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

PROF. MAUREEN HARRIS Lakeview has always held a special place in my heart. The first time I entered the small neighbourhood school was when I was looking for care for our two young children.

Lakeview taught me how to be a mother and how to raise our family. I was intrigued with the Montessori philosophy and excited to graduate from Lakeview’s Montessori Teacher Education Program.

Many years later, I once again walked into the school, which was now much larger and home to Preschool and Elementary students. That visit brought back a flood of wonderful memories of the years our children had spent at the school. Even now as adults, they still talk of the fun times they had at Lakeview.

When I received the invitation to join Lakeview as the new Head of School, it was truly an honour for which I have been eternally grateful for. Having spent most of my life in the education sector this was a super exciting venture that was thrilling to embrace. The faculty and staff were great, the children were amazing and the families and Board of Directors were so supportive during the transition.

So much has been accomplished over the past 10 years and Lakeview now presents itself as a respected private school with national accreditations and a globally recognized Montessori Teacher Education Program. Enrollment at the school is higher than ever with a wait list in all levels. The footprint has doubled with the addition of a Middle School, plaza classrooms, performance venue, gymnasium, Robotics/Tech Room and additional Preschool and Infant spaces.

There are new playgrounds and a beautiful Healing Garden which is used as an outdoor learning classroom and somewhere quiet for a mental break during the day. Rebranding has positioned Lakeview as a 21st century school with high tech abilities to pivot seamlessly to online learning when necessary, and updated air-filtering systems to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all.

The future promises to continue to deliver on the demands of an ever changing world and this journey will include all of you. Whether an alumni, a parent, current and future students, Board members, faculty and staff, we are all part of Lakeview’s extended family and contribute to the fabric of what makes our school unique. The future belongs to our children and we are here to guide and support them as they find their path in life. There’s no greater honour!

FINANCIAL REPORT Lakeview Montessori School has been in operation since 1978, and has never been in a better financial position. Over the last few years Lakeview has acquired land and a gymnasium, with partial thanks to the support of the Town of Tecumseh,the City of Windsor and generous donors. This has allowed its staff and students to participate in extracurricular on-site activities.

Lakeview received financial support from CIBC when it was required during the construction phase.

That loan was recently paid off, meaning Lakeview is in an excellent financial position. With its strong enrollment and excellent quality programming (thanks to Lakeview’s amazing staff) Lakeview’s financial stability has never been better.

The Board continues to provide strong leadership and governance, support the Head of School, Prof.

Harris and the staff to make Lakeview one of the leaders in the industry and is the most sought-after school in the area. The parents are ensured of a quality, value added experience for their children, and reassured the investment in their future is without question a worthy 'sacrifice'.

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LAKEVIEW

LOGOS & BRANDING The formulation of LAKEVIEW’s logo is centered on the Trinomial Cube. A concrete representation of the algebraic formula (a + b + c)3, the Trinomial Cube is used by the Montessori child as an activity of algebraic exploration and to teach early math skills. One of a selection of classic Montessori sensorial materials, the Trinomial Cube, is not only a perfect example showing how Montessori education helps introduce complicated concepts from concrete to abstract, but also offers the signature “control of error.” This control encourages the child to not only work with the material, but also offers a way that they may check their own work rather than seek out the teacher if they have a question as to whether the work is done correctly. This is done to help promote independence and problem solving on the part of the child. The Trinomial Cube helps the child create the connections that will lead to an understanding of math concepts.

In the same manner, LAKEVIEW’s logo is graphically represented as a series of connections between the blocks. It is specifically designed to present our goal of providing our students with the prepared environment to achieve their optimal development and to build a concrete foundation for their future education in all aspects. The colours chosen for the logo are often identified collectively as the colours of innovation and creativity and align perfectly with the educational philosophy inherent in the Lakeview Montessori culture.

OUR LOGO HISTORY...

Circa 2013

Est. 2014

Original logo created by founder of Lakeview, Janice Mayhew 1978-2010

Circa 2010

Est. 2014

OUR JOURNEY AT LAKEVIEW It all began when we relocated back to Tecumseh from Miami in the Summer of 2011. We wanted a school for our almost 2-year-old to socialize with other children and develop academically. I remembered this little school in the St. Clair Beach area from when I lived down the street prior to leaving for Miami. We enrolled Easton a couple half days a week to start in September 2011, and by Thanksgiving, he was enrolled in the all-day, everyday program. That’s all it took to fall in love with Lakeview Montessori School.

From the very beginning, we felt like family. The teachers took our little boy all those years ago and taught him to use a spoon, clean up after himself (I wish this had stuck with him), help his fellow students, multiply & divide, read & write, button up his shirts and tie his shoes. All of that was before he turned 5!

Even more than what he was taught, were the friendships he made. Many of his friends today started at Lakeview at the same time as Easton and in turn those families have become an integral part of our village. I remember receiving our first note from another family that they wanted to set up a playdate for the boys and the rest is history. The adage “it takes a village” is true.

The school grew larger and more interconnected as our sons grew up at Lakeview together. I can honestly say that it would have been a much harder journey without our Lakeview family.

LAKEVIEW IS LIKE FAMILY From the Welcome Back BBQ, to the Annual Bowling Fundraiser, to the Year-End Carnival, to the parents-only Dueling Pianos, the Lakeview community has brought us together with so many families. Even through the pandemic, the Lakeview community is as vibrant as ever.

Speaking of the pandemic, Lakeview has shown its significant value to our family beyond what Easton learns and does. The school went above and beyond to ensure that the children and staff were kept safe and that classes remained as normal as possible during remote learning. It wasn’t perfect mind you, but it was more than any other school I knew about.

When we started all those years ago, the Middle School building was non-existent, no additional classrooms in the plaza and certainly no gymnasium. These expansions were only made possible by the will and dedication of the Lakeview community (teachers, administration & families). Without that feeling of family, I don’t see how else these expansions would have happened. Like any family, Lakeview has grown over the years and now that we are in our final years at Lakeview, we can say we are extremely proud of how we’re leaving it, both in terms of what we are leaving behind and the young man that will be graduating.

I highly recommend Lakeview to any family.

- Michael Kennedy

WHAT OUR FAMILIES ARE SAYING...

"The teachers and staff are truly caring and passionate about their jobs and they encourage the kids to be the best they can be. They learn to be independent, making the learning process fun at an early age.

The communication between the school and parents is always open and there is a feeling of community within the school. Academically, Lakeview offers top education and exposes the kids to programs such as robotics, coding, cooking, music, sports and so much more.

"Our daughter continues to enjoy learning new things and looks forward to going to school everyday! We feel that the positive learning environment of the classroom coupled with all the dedicated staff and teachers is a contributing factor to the success of the students and the school in general. Aside from being knowledgeable, we feel that every staff and teacher truly cares and has a passion for teaching. We’ve also found that every staff and teacher believe in the Montessori Method. They get to know each child on an academic level, but also on a personal level, and really get an understanding of the child’s personality and capabilities. They also get to know the parents, and really encourage the parents to be involved in the progression of their child’s development. This makes for a comfortable and safe atmosphere for the students to learn and grow in the right direction. We feel that all the above mentioned contributes to the family-feel that the culture of this school also possesses. Again, it’s learning at its best, focusing on each individual child’s interest but progressing at their own pace."

Years later, we now have one graduate of Lakeview who is flourishing in High School and two Elementary students who continue to amaze us with the things they learn and the love they receive when they are at school. We feel so pleased to see their development throughout the years and to see how much they love their teachers, friends and school.

I would highly recommend Lakeview Montessori to any parent who is looking for the best school for their kids."

-Julieta Salonen

-Marissa & Darius

"It wasn’t a difficult decision to keep our eldest daughter at Lakeview when she started Elementary."

LONG-STANDING STAFF MEMBERS 1988 Magda Swisterski 1998 Cindy Diemer 2001 Renee Ryerson 2003 Ilknur Tepe 2004 Eda Dibra 2006 Zeynep Ozoglu 2008 Jessica Bennardo 2009 Milena Dragicevic Approaching their decade 2012 Diana Volpatti Tiffany Gyori Cinzia Fiorino-Politi Jazz Lu Maureen Harris

2011 - 2016 5+ Years Kristin Barone 2013 Christina Stein 2016 Felecia Priestyeski 2016 Jillian Parent 2016 Jade Gusba 2016

Approaching 5 Years 2017 Margie Smith David Mendez Lauren McRae

WHY STAFF STAY AT LAKEVIEW...

By Kristin Barone, Staff & Student Support

Lakeview staff members are committed to stay because it's a place where the teachers are encouraged and supported in being their true authentic self as entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders. With the small class sizes, they're able to create a family like atmosphere within their own classroom. The current roster of teachers love the bond they have with their students and with each other.

Any staff member who you run into will call this school 'a home away from home'. This culture was created by the amazing group of long-term teachers and Admin staff who are caring, respectful, professional, and loving. The majority are mothers or fathers themselves who all foster the love of learning. The support system that you don't get to see from the outside, is truly one of a kind and every person is proud to be a part of it.